(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to nets and, more particularly, to a removable elastic net for supporting and preventing movement of dishware in the racks of a dishwasher.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Most modern dishwashers have a pair of upper and lower racks which are slidable mounted to tracks fixed to the inner sides of the dishwasher. Such racks are pulled out for easy loading and unloading of the dishware. Cups, glasses and other dishware are normally placed upside down along the racks for washing. During operation of the dishwasher, high pressure streams of water are directed against the items of dishware in the racks. The problem with this type of dishwasher is that the pressure of the water stream may be strong enough to cause the dishware to right side up during washing and fill with water. As a result, not only does the dishware itself fail to be properly cleaned but during unloading the upright dishware sometimes tips over and spills dirty water on the already clean dishes below. In addition, expensive long stemmed glasses have a tendency to tip over and knock into one another causing breakage. Consequently, many households equipped with such dishwashers wash the above types of dishware by hand.
Some attempts have been made in the past to solve the general problem of securing and supporting dishware in the racks of a dishwasher against movement during cleaning. U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,728, issued to Opal, discloses a flat or arcuate disk of plastic, nylon or rubber-like material designed to fit over the central hub of an upper rotatable, slidably mounted rack of an automatic dishwasher in which have been placed items of lightweight plastic or glass dishware. Although useful for dishwashers having a top rack rotatable on a central hub, such a design is not adaptable for use with more conventional "hubless" dishwasher racks. However, the Opal patent does provide a good background discussion of other techniques which have been used for supporting dishware during washing.
Specific examples of the use of a retaining net for supporting dishware during washing are not known. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,266, issued to Fausett et al., does disclose a storage hammock usable for a variety of purposes. However, the netting and binding of the storage hammock taught by Fausett et al. is substantially inelastic and would not provide sufficient stretch to allow its use in a dishwasher.
Thus there remains a need for a new and improved removable net for supporting and preventing movement of dishware during washing in the racks of a dishwasher which is sufficiently elastic to conform to the shape of the dishware and the racks and, at the same time, is insensitive to hot water and detergents and permits the normal operation of the dishwasher.